The present disclosure is directed to a telephone attachment which is particularly able to be installed at a convenient location for a large number of temporary users. It is especially intended for a large number of users who might be assigned to a building location near the telephone for a few days. An example will be given with regard to a manufacturing site, another example will be directed to a construction site, and another example will be directed to a summer camp.
Take the example of a summer camp which has a number of campers in a dorm room. Assume that the number is forty. Assume also that they are going to be in the dorm room together for ten days. The device of this disclosure helps overcome several of the problems common to such summer camps. Generally, it is desirable that the campers not bring cash into the dorm room. At best, it gets spent on things which detract from the purpose of the camp, and at worse, it gets misplaced, lost or stolen. Borrowing will occur without any pay back. It is better that telephone calls from the camp be handled by some sort of credit or calling card transaction. The problem with that is that the campers often are quite young and should note entrusted with that sort of financial capability. Again, the calling card may be lost or misplaced. In another aspect, it is desirable that the campers call home at least periodically over the span of a ten day trip. It is desirable that they call but not talk very long. It is also desirable from the point of view of the families that they hear from them on a fairly regular basis. The present system enables an allocation of time for each of the forty campers for ten days. When the first group of campers leave, the equipment can then be reset so that a second set of campers can then use it, again, assumed to be forty campers for ten days. While the pattern may vary somewhat in detail this is especially true for summer recreational camps, scout camps, church camps, band camps and so on. It also finds application even for older students such as those who work in the national forest and the like. In all instances, it is desirable that they be able to make the calls without a lot of difficulty. It is desirable again that they be permitted to call home without cash. The present invention enables this to be done readily.
Consider a job erection site. Assume that a housing development involves eight houses at the end of a cul de sac or in a common local. At various times of the day, different craftsmen will be there. This may include a foundation crew including a truck driver delivering a truck load of cement, all of this occurring at one house site, a carpentry crew framing the building at the adjacent site, and plumbing and electrical subcontractors at the next job site. At the next adjacent site, a roofing crew may be installing the roof, gutters and other exterior components. Internal finish personnel including glaziers, trim carpenters, cabinet makers and terrazzo craftsmen may be in one house. In that instance, it may be necessary for any number of the craftsmen to go to a local telephone, make calls for replenishment of supplies, to make calls to their base dispatchers so that they can then sign out from that project and go to another location, to make calls indicating a shortage of labor or materials, and to otherwise advise the project owner. It may be necessary from time to time to talk with the architect to evaluate changes in the drawing that will have to be made dynamically. The phone is left in the open so that, after evening falls, the telephone set might otherwise be used by those who stumble over the facility and make long distance phone calls charging them to the economic harm of the telephone line subscriber. A number of problems can arise of this sort. The problems are substantially limited only by the imagination of the telephone users. Unwanted calls to 900 numbers can be made. Unwanted calls to remote area codes resulting in large toll charges might occur also. All of these can be screened by the present apparatus.
The device of this disclosure enables a finite number of users to use the telephone. The number is a whole number integer and is represented by the symbol N. Each of the N users is provided with a specified time of calling. The time is represented by the symbol T. The time allocated to one of the set of N users will be represented symbolically by T.sub.1., T.sub.2., and so on. Moreover, the telephone calls can be screened at least by destination. For instance, the calls can be screened so that outbound calls are forbidden to area code 900. It is also possible to limit the called numbers to that immediate locale. That is normally described as a local area code in the larger cities (Chicago, Detroit), while in some instances, the permitted phone calls will be identified as a particular exchange within an area code. In all instances, the list of permitted telephone numbers can be quarantined so that the list is short, i.e., is limited to those who have a need to receive the calls where the tolls involved with the call can be known in advance. Consider again as the example of a residential construction site on the edge of a city. Generally, all the calls required from that site are into the city. Permitted phone numbers are those which are within the city, but not elsewhere. Consider, however, the instance where a number of young campers (typically age 10 to 15) are bused a long distance to a camp in another state. Assume for purposes of description that they are bused to a camp in the Ozarks which is located at area code (501) and that they have traveled from St. Louis which is area code (314). Assume also that the camp operators and the parents have decreed that the young campers should be calling home only. When they call, they are able to call only their family. In that instance, the arrangement can be made readily before they arrive so that each is allocated a specified set of telephone calling instructions. Each is given their own personal identification number (PIN) and the PIN is assigned to each of the N campers. Associated with a particular PIN number, each camper provides their home phone number which might be, in this example, in the greater St. Louis area or a number at area code (314). Thus, a particular camper might be given the PIN number of 22 which, when input to the system, provides a call to his family so that a speed dialing protocol is initiated which calls his family at 1-(314)-123-4567. In that example, loading the PIN number prompts the call.
Typically with young campers, it is desirable that they not talk very long but make a daily call. Thus, if they are going to be at camp for ten days, they might be allocated four minutes per day. This encourages them each to make a call but for only four minutes. They can be told in advance and make the call between specified hours. Assume that the campers are busy with the camp activity and have no free time until the evening hours of 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. Utilizing a clock in the apparatus, the equipment can be enabled for that three hour interval, an interval of 180 minutes. Assuming that N equals forty and each camper is allocated four minutes per call, that means 160 minutes of outbound calls can be made in that 180 minute interval. This allows about twenty minutes between calls so that the campers can pass the phone set from one to the next to the next. It may be desirable that the campers be locked out at other hours, i.e., they should not be permitted to call in the middle of the night. They should also be involved in camp activities in the middle of the day, and that time interval might be locked out also.
Consider by contrast the remote construction site mentioned above where six residential houses are being constructed in a continuous location. A telephone is installed at that location. Each craftsman who comes on the job site is given a PIN number. They are assigned the numbers at different dates and they are included at different dates. For instance, the foundation crew will be excluded first, while the roofers will be included later. At the start of the project, there is no need for roofers to be at the premises; therefore, they get their PIN numbers later. In these instances, the roofers and other craftsmen may be given a PIN number which is unique for calling only their home dispatcher, ie., the roofers call the roofing company. By contrast, they may be short of supplies and a couple of other numbers can be added to the list such as authorized stores which sell construction goods and equipment on demand for the job site can be designated. In this instance, where charge accounts have been opened for the particular construction site, these charge account vendors can be identified and particular speed dial numbers can be provided for them so that they can be called and quick dispatch of limited quantities of goods can be achieved. Consider as an example that the carpentry crew is framing a structure but it discovers that it is short a particular precut window frame. That can be ordered as soon as they determine that fact. The order can be transferred orally along with some identification codes over the telephone line which enable precise idenitification of the calling party, the job site, the particular item needed by part number or other nomenclature. This will enable the dispatch of the particular shorted merchandise. If the call is made early in the day, it might be possible to get it delivered that day or at least by the next morning. This will enable the work crew to continue working steadily without interrupting and having to run to the lumber yard or to other vendors to get materials where they are simply short of materials. Accordingly, the work crew can be instructed with individual PIN numbers, and can be provided with confidential account code(s) in the form of speed dial numbers. The speed dial numbers can be added so that the proper verification information can be transferred. This assures that charges are allocated to the right account for a particular construction project.
Proceeding further, the device of the present disclosure enables call tracing so that time and billing expenses can be captured also. Consider as an example the construction project just mentioned. When the project inspector or architect is on site, the architect may spend different amounts of time at each site. The architect is then permitted to call in and provide a billing code at the home office. The job site may include six different houses, each of which has a different billing code. The architect is permitted to call in and directly input data regarding time and billing charges. This can be simply an entry that the architect spent 0.3 hours (or 18 minutes) on a particular house lot. Then again, the architect may spend 2.0 hours at another house under construction and also make a number of special changes to the construction plan which are agreed on dynamically in the field. For instance, the architect may decide on the spot that the project really would do better with the addition of a 42,000 BTU AC unit, not a 36,000 BTU unit. While the cost may be substantially the same from the installation point of view, the added charges may be necessary so that that information can be transferred for added cost in the construction of the particular house. In other words, cost allocation is wisely made.
In one aspect, the equipment of the present disclosure is installed and used for a season and then removed. The season may be the camping season of just the summer months. In a construction situation, the season may be the construction time required to build out and complete ten lots with ten finished houses ready for occupancy. In that instance, it might require the greater portion of a year depending on the scheduling of the work crews. Also, it may be subject to seasonal delays as occur in the northern states.
The mode of attachment is an important factor. The mode of attachment involves locking with a key lock on an attachment loop. The attachment loop is affixed to the back of the equipment and extends beyond the equipment to encircle a post or column. It typically is constructed so that it fastens to a post over all industry standard connector. The industry standard connector typically represents a wiring termination which is recessed internally within the box. The box houses the screen which displays events and transactions on the front and is all LCD display. A twelve button key pad in accordance with typical telephonic equipment is included. The key pad is used for entry of data. A programming package is stored in the memory within the box which is communicated with the CPU. Electrical power is from a long life storage battery such as a nickel cadmium battery. The NiCd battery is provided with a trickle charge from a power supply. The power supply takes current flow at the rate of two or three milliamperes from the line so that it can keep the equipment charged even in the event of line power loss. This equipment enables the device to function for long intervals even with periodic expenditures of energy. The box enhances security because it fastens over the mounting plate. The mounting plate is covered or obscured by this equipment.
The disclosed system of the present disclosure is briefly summarized as a portable, field installed, lock protected secure box including equipment within and interposed between a telephone set and the telephone line. It accomplishes the tasks which are set forth below which includes user time allocation, job costing and accomplishes this under control of a programmer who loads a set of PIN numbers. In summary, it is installed, used for a while and then can be removed and optionally moved to another location.